Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Mynas

After talking to Charles Boyle of CB Editions, here's another one-man publishing outfit. Says John Hughes of Myna Classics, "The aim of Myna Classics is to publish forgotten or neglected (i.e. 'minor') classics of English literature in an attractive and affordable paperback format. I have no previous experience in publishing or design, but I love books, and this is a sort of one-man crusade against the dozens of other Print-On-Demand companies who publish sloppily-edited texts (usually pilfered straight from Project Gutenberg) with plain, generic or completely inappropriate covers, and then charge you the earth for the privilege."

Anyway, here are the covers of the first five Mynas. I'm especially pleased that he's resurrected Cabbages and Kings, O. Henry's only novel, an entertainingly odd book that was undeservedly out of print until now. Lawrence's The Trespasser is very good too--and one he wrote before he became so terrified that his readers wouldn't get him that he decided he had to spell everything out at the most appalling length. And Richard Jefferies is also the author of one of the earliest after-the-end-of-the-world novels, After London, which is excellent and unfairly neglected.

As a reader: I'm really enthusiastic about the fact that he's making these volumes available...in forms that don't suck!

As an artist: I dig certain covers more than others. I really respect the fact that he's making each of them himself-- that's pretty sweet. The O.Henry one is really nice, I think. It makes me want to read the book.

As a designer: Unity of design is really strong. This is a good thing. I wonder though if it's too strong-- the cover art all uses the same pastel colors, primarily. I'd be curious to see what happens when you vary the base color more. It might add to the quality of the set, it might not. I agree about the choice of Lithos, though. It's a little too funky for revived classics. It does give it them a sort of personality, but it all comes down to who you want your audience to be-- scholars or curious bibliophiles? What appeals to one might not appeal to the other.

Megan: John says "I also think Megan hit it on the head when she questioned who the target audience is - these books aren't intended to be 'scholarly'; there are no in-depth introductions or extensive notes etc. The aim is just to provide a good, straightforward and accurate text that can be enjoyed by anyone (basically, I'm just publishing books I like myself and hoping that other people like them too)."

Tulkinghorn: I had the same reaction--it made me want to endanger my savings by setting up my own similar company. And I could wear what you said about Edwardian mysteries emblazoned on a T-shirt.